Ordering beads from Leaded Light Ltd.

There is no way that I can show you all of the different beads that I can make for you. To order beads you can either look at the pictures that I have on the web and ask for some by the picture name. The other option is to wade through this page and exactly specify what you want.

To order beads you need to specify the following items:

1. number of beads (obviously)
2. size of beads in mm
3. shape of beads
4. decoration on beads
5. color(s) to be used
6. general pricing

SIZE OF BEADS

Best when specified in millimeters (mm). The width is measured along the hole and the height is at a right angle to the hole in the bead.

SHAPE OF THE BEAD

The following table shows the shapes that I make.

donut	round	cylinder	cube	square cylinder	cone
bi cone	penny	oval	flat	twisted

Decoration on beads

many styles of decoration are possible. Not all decorations can be applied to all of the shapes and sizes.

dot on dot	flat dots	raised dots	droop swirl	raked swirl	speckled
zebra	un gold	gold	tobacco	black	etched
squiggles	plain *	plain *	mixed*	twists	raked

The two identified as plain are each made from a single piece of glass where the mixed one is made from two colors that were mixed together before the bead was made. Mixed beads will cost more than plain. See below for more information.

COLORS TO BE USED

First a bit of a lesson about glass. Glass, like all materials, expands when it is heated. If two glases that expand at different rates are mixed together in a bead there will be problems. How different the expansion rates are will determine how long it will be before the bead cracks. This time can be from minutes to years.

For this reason I primarily use Moretti glass when making decorated beads. Moretti makes a line of colored glass that is all at the same expansion rate.

I often use sheet glass cut into narrow strips to make beads. Since it is from one sheet it has an unkown but uniform rate of expansion. These beads can not have decoration applied. This is how the 'plain' but multi-color beads are done.

MORETTI COLORS

Color chart

OTHER COLORS

I also use glass from the following manufactures listed below. Links are provided to their color charts.

Spectrum glass

Bullseye

Kokomo

Wissmach

BEAD PRICING

It is hard to be specific. It all depends upon how long it takes to make a bead and the cost of the glass used. The prices shown are 'average' size beads using 'average price' glass. Some of the glass used is 2-3 times or more than this average price. When you request beads I will always give you a quote for your beads before I start to make them.

$0.65	$0.60	$0.60	$0.70	$0.70	$0.50
$0.70	$0.60	$0.60	$0.50	$0.60	etching add $0.05
$0.70	$0.30 up to 10 mm	$0.30 up to 10 mm	$0.40 up to 8 mm	$0.75	$0.70